Re: [-empyre-] Is Modernity our Antiquity

Brett Stalbaum <stalbaum@ucsd.edu> · Mon, 06 Mar 2006 02:40:37 -0800

I don't know Henry... false consciousness? We can at least say that the 
theories and histories of the modern and the postmodern interoperate for 
now. I don't know if there is a new attractor or new critical framework 
that has emerged or is emerging that is worthy of being considered 
epochal... but I suspect one.  I'm very interested in how computation 
intersects and catalyzes the modern to postmodern to N-speculative 
transition... but that is another post... literally... apparently not on 
point for this discussion...
But certainly the modern and postmodern interoperate today not only in 
terms of how we view art practices in a critical sense, but in how they 
continue to generatively guide current art practices, consciously or 
unconsciously, compliantly or resistively, assuming copious entropy and 
plurality too. We are thrown in the culture we bootstrap from... that we 
are having the discussion is evidence.
For example all of the discourses on digital mixing/remixing and 
peer-to-peer networks; they are still very much bound to postmodernism, 
most specifically the issue of appropriation, at the same time they 
explore contemporary modalities (and sometimes legalities) of 
appropriation. Are they the limit of concern or exclusive frameworks 
intersecting such practices? No. But nevertheless, in 100, 1000, 10,000 
years when these might well be obscure genealogies, it would still be 
accurate to discuss issues of postmodernist appropriation and relation 
to the digital as reflecting contemporary thought and issues for the 
remixers. Agreed, if anyone by then cares;-)
If consciousness is something we produce together, then M and P-M and 
perhaps N-speculative will keep playing out. I could add to this archaic 
art to the romantic... all have aspects that are still in play in M and 
P-M, and wherever we are in our contemporary. And some of these eras had 
profoundly different energy policies;-)
But if you are arguing that they should be consciously dispensed with as 
much as possible in practice moving forward - that they lack something 
we need today, that they are part of our comfortable wealth where even 
war is something we do fairly blithely... Well, sure. Will some other 
epoch come from adjusting to the coming energy shock? I would not rule 
that out...
Henry Warwick wrote:
In this debate, I don't agree with any of it.
I am of the opinion that Postmodernity is a false consciousness,  based 
on a Modernity that never really existed.
Push your time out, and you'll see what I mean.
100, 1000, 10,000 years.
These issues flicker and fade quickly in deeper time, but the drive  of 
"art making" continues - we adorn and we admire, we hold something  as 
special, and we (today) call it art. That continues across the  ages, 
and will continue to do so.
I think there is only "The Contemporary". This isn't a "master  
narrative" or a critique of such. It's simply looking at things with  
some perspective and humility. I think it might be more productive to  
discuss things in terms of various axia; time, space, class, work- 
practice...
time: 1960 ce
space: USA
class: middle
work-practice: wage slave
time:  23,000 bce
space: Spain
class: Not Applicable
work-practice: hunter gatherer
or find other axia of illumination - some might be more useful or  
interesting than others...

But to finally dispense with the dreary academic arguments regarding  
"Modernity", "PostModernity", etc. would be a great stride for the  
species. As it is, it seems the world is collectively farting sawdust  
with such debate.
Frankly, I think the consumption of energy is more responsible for  the 
creation of so-called "Modern World", and its depletion is  responsible 
for its demise.
In the 18th century, we started heavily mining coal. Soon, the first  
"Modern" age of classicalism appeared. In 1859 oil was pulled out of  
the ground in Pennsylvania. One year later, the USA had a Revolution.  
Within a few decades, we were well into the petroleum age, and the  
notion of "Modernity" appeared, as the technological substrate for  its 
appearance was created by the one time gift of 2 trillion barrels  of 
liquified stored solar energy.
In 1979, the global consumption of energy as distributed on a per  
capita basis, peaked and began to decilne, even though petroleum  mining 
continued to increase in actual volume. The Next Thing You  Know, we're 
in a "Post-Modern world". According to some, global  production of 
petroleum peaked on 16 December 2005. We'll only know  in hindsight in a 
few years if this is true or not. If so, it only  makes sense that we're 
talking about a post-postModernity (or some  equally arbitrary notion) 
of Civilisation. The salient characteristic  of this cultural moment 
could well be the slide down the other side  of Hubbert's Peak - the 
Culture of Depletion.
Cultural actors can't be neutral during that phase. If mishandled,  the 
results are extinction, or worse: a long slide into horror. The  kind of 
"aloofness" and "obscurity" fostered by PostModern (tm) and  rightfully 
criticised (Habermas, Sokal, etc.) will be replaced with a  more pointed 
multi-axis struggle, where the ultimate Petroleum State  (the USA 
Empire) slides away from unipolar dominance into being one  of several 
regional hegemons (with EU, China, Russia, India, etc.)  competing for 
the last few resources to keep their war machines going.
Once the multi-polar system fails under the weight of its own  entropic 
depletion curve, history will once again be forced to reckon  with the 
Contemporary, only this time, on a permanent basis. I call  that the 
"Permanent Contemporary", where even the notion of one's own  time 
disappears. Small strokes of history will re-appear - someone  will pull 
something out of the ancient landfills that has some "time"  in it - 
perhaps an "Art History" book. Even in translation, it won't  make 
sense, and the pictures will seem as if they were from another  planet. 
A planet of steel, glass, concrete, and a rare mysterious  substance 
called "Oil".
In any case, any number of projections can be made from any number of  
axia (PosterModern relativism combined with its parent, Modernist  
Universalism, at your service...) but some will prove more useful  than 
others - the focus won't be on "everything goes". It will be on  "go 
with everything that works - but GO!"
Linear systems are a tiny subset of non-linear systems.
Personally, I prefer to live in the Permanent Contemporary, now.
"No time like the present!"
dispeptically exhausted and cranky as usual, I give you all my  kindest 
regards,
Henry Warwick
_______________________________________________
empyre forum
empyre@lists.cofa.unsw.edu.au
http://www.subtle.net/empyre

--
Brett Stalbaum, Lecturer, PSOE
Coordinator, Interdisciplinary Computing and the Arts Major (ICAM)
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
Department of Visual Arts
9500 GILMAN DR. # 0084
La Jolla CA 92093-0084
http://www.c5corp.com
http://www.paintersflat.net
Info for students, winter quarter 2K6:
-ICAM and Media (computing emphasis) faculty advising:
Tuesday 1-2PM, VAF 206, Contact via email stalbaum@ucsd.edu
-Vis 40/ICAM 40 (Introduction/Computing in Arts) office hour:
Tuesday 2-3PM, VAF 206, Contact via WebCT
-Vis 141A (Computer Programming/Arts I) office hour:
Tuesday 3-4PM, VAF 206, Contact: via WebCT
- Notes:
Week 7 (Feb 21st) No office hours today
Finals Week (March 21st) Yes.